How to prepare for your lifestyle newborn photo session


I get to document the story of a family growing! While the focus is on your newborn - their little features, their smirk or them dozing o into a milk coma, I also love to capture all the other details of welcoming a new baby into your lives. I love to capture those favorite spots within your home like the nursery you’ve spent 9 months designing or cuddled up on the couch snuggling as a family. Moments like mama rocking her baby, daddy kissing those sweet little cheeks are my favorite to remember!

While lifestyle newborn sessions are pretty easy on you and your family, there is some prep work involved in getting your home and family ready for your session. Before we dive into that, let’s talk about wardrobe so you can get that planned out first.

Whites, neutrals, and Earth tones are wonderfully dreamy and help set the tone for a beautiful cohesive gallery. Neutrals do not have to mean a plain white T-shirt. I consider neutrals as a palate of likeness (gray, navy, tan, white, ivory, soft blue, soft pink, etc.) The most important part is that the colors compliment one another and there are three-four colors

(if including denim) MAX. Avoid black if possible. I recommend all family members be barefoot if possible.

I always encourage clients to pick clothing that they feel comfortable in, communicates the style they have and compliments their home decor. Take a look at the colors of your home, nursery and the rooms we will be photographing in. It works well if your clothing colors and patterns complement each other.

I suggest starting from a neutral palate as Newborns should be the star of the show when it comes to the session, so dressing in bright colors or busy patterns often is distracting to the viewer.


Baby

Baby typically looks best wrapped up in a blanket or wearing a well-fitting gown or set (Lou Lou & Company) or a plain white onesie (H&M has a great kimono style onesie).

Mamas

Resist the urge to put the whole family in one color because it’s your safe color, your eyes are blue, or you have a baby boy ect. I suggest dressing yourself and the rest of the family in light, Earthy neutral colored clothing that coordinates each other and has minimal patterns and logos. Moms are often not in a rush to put on a pair of pants so soon after delivery, so I suggest beautiful flowing dresses or gowns that are postpartum-friendly. Fabric that moves or has texture is always my preference. While there are many dresses to choose from, don’t feel like you have to go this route. A comfy sweater or top and jeans or leggings work perfectly fine for a casual, homey vibe. If you feel most comfortable in blue jeans, I recommend you are the only one wearing them. Feel free to text me with your options if you're having trouble making choices. You are welcome to reach out any time.

Dads

Dads look great in a basic tee or henley, Brown, olive green, or tan cords, jeans, khakis, or linen pants are some other alternatives to blue jeans. If dad prefers an outfit with blue jeans, please have him be the only one.


Now lets move onto the house

There is just a small amount of prep needed before your lifestyle session. Please plan for me to use at least one or two rooms with great natural light. If you’re unsure of the lighting, send me a picture of the rooms you’re considering and I’ll let you know my thoughts!

It’s helpful for clutter to be cleared off of the dressers, floors, nightstand, etc., before the session. The best rooms to tell the story of your new baby are typically the nursery and your bedroom (ideally on a white or solid color/neutral bedspread. If you don’t have a white or solid color cover, plain white sheets by themselves work great!)

Sometimes I’ll utilize other rooms throughout the house if the light is too good to pass up. When I arrive, we can decide where the best locations will be (it could even be the family room, dining room, stairway, sibling’s room, etc).

A few other tips to help your newborn lifestyle session run smoothly

  • Try to allow baby to have some awake time right before our session. Right before I arrive, feed baby so he or she has a full belly. Full Baby = Happy Baby :)
  • Babies like to be warm, please turn the heat up if necessary!
  • If possible remove clutter that might be distracting in the background of
  • photos (clutter on nightstands, dressers, counters, etc). If your crib has bumpers, I prefer you remove them for the session if possible. I love to get some shots peeking into the crib.
  • Think of something "routine" you do with your baby that we could also photograph during my time there. Maybe it's just a simple diaper change, feeding, giving baby a bath, but something that would be fun to document, because even the most ordinary things are something you won't want to forget.


Once your session is over you'll receive your digital proofing gallery within 1-2 weeks. From there you'll be able to choose your favorites and receive them finished and retouched in the following 1-2 weeks. You'll receive your final digital images in both color and black and white. Then you can download them all, along with printing rights. You'll also receive a link to share with family and friends easily. You will have the option to order prints and products through the online gallery which is the only way I can guarantee 100% color accuracy. Unless otherwise requested, I always love to post a sneak peek on social media (Facebook and instagram) within 1-2 days. So watch for that!


Thank you for allowing me to capture this special time in your family's lives, it means SO much!